FRAI urges govt for tech platform for kirana stores
Federation of Retailer Association of India (FRAI) on Tuesday urged the government to provide enhanced technology to Kirana stores to enable them to compete with e-commerce platforms.
E-commerce giant Flipkart on Wednesday announced that more than 50,000 kiranas have come on board to make deliveries to customers based more than 850 cities during company’s ‘Big Billion Days sale’ and upcoming festive season.
The company claims that the number of kiranas joining the programme has doubled since last year as the kirana programme has been expanded to places like Tinsukia (Assam), Agartala (Tripura) and Kannur (Kerala), connecting kiranas and consumers to the country’s fast growing digital commerce.
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“Through a combination of their hyperlocal presence and innovations by Flipkart, this programme has become a great enabler in strengthening the kirana ecosystem in the country,” said Amitesh Jha, Senior Vice-President, Ekart and Marketplace, Flipkart.
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The company aims to provide a personalised e-commerce experience to millions of consumers while creating additional income for kiranas.
To help kiranas onboard and be active participants in the festive season, Flipkart’s team initiated contactless onboarding of kiranas through online application forms where kirana partners directly uploaded details along with required documentation. The team organised digital training on various tools including app-based dashboards and digital payments, helping kiranas transform their business from traditional general trade stores to modern convenience stores.
“As one of the oldest retail formats in India, kiranas have one of the highest penetration and showcase effective management of the supply chain drivers such as facilities, inventory, information and sourcing, as well as in maintaining a long-standing relationship with consumers,” Jha said.
Last year, kiranas collectively delivered over 1 million shipments during Flipkart’s ‘The Big Billion Day’.
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